Birmingham bin collections - when three major changes could be implemented

Major changes to Birmingham’s waste collection are on their way and could be in place for some residents by next spring. It was earlier this month that the Labour-run city council discussed proposals that could see thousands of Brummies receive a second recycling bin.

During a cabinet meeting, it was seeking permission to obtain 340,000 second recycling bins which would be used by residents specifically for paper and card. Cllr Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment, described the plans as a “major step towards the modernisation of the recycling service”.

He added a pilot in his ward of Bromford and Hodge Hill had been received “really, really positively” and that the council is looking at further trials across the city. However, this is not the only change included within the cash-strapped council’s plans to transform waste collection - a key priority within its recovery plan.

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The local authority is also proposing to move from weekly residual waste collection to fortnightly frequency and the introduction of weekly food waste collections city-wide. But when are these changes likely to be implemented?

According to a recent council officer’s report, the “key timetable” for moving from weekly residual waste collection service to a fortnightly frequency is planned through a phased implementation. This would commence in April 2025 and conclude by March 2026.

“The implementation of an additional recycling bin will be phased throughout 2025/6 and will coincide with the move to alternate week collection for residual waste and the introduction of weekly food waste collection,” the report continued. Cllr Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport, previously said that the changes would provide Brummies “with a better waste collection service that is in line with other councils”.

“I know some residents are concerned about moving to a fortnightly residual waste service, but this will not be introduced until we have the food waste collections, meaning people will have less general waste,” he said. ”There will be a phased introduction and we will be communicating all the changes to residents.”

He added during a recent cabinet meeting that residents who can’t accommodate an additional recycling bin will be offered a reusable sack. Last month, he described recycling rates in large parts of Brum as “stubbornly low in comparison to other towns and cities”.

“That's why Birmingham City Council is working hard to make it easier for you to increase the amount of recycling and improve its quality by having two recycling bins,” he said. The recent report continues that an investment of £6.6million for the second recycling bins “facilitates a gross revenue saving of £2.170m per annum”.

It continued: “The primary contributor to this saving is a significant reduction in the cost associated with the processing of contaminated recyclable materials". Cllr Rob Pocock, the cabinet member overseeing the council’s transformation, was supportive of the proposals, saying: “It’s good we may eventually become a top class, 21st century city for recycling.”

Roger Harmer, leader of the Liberal Democrats at the council, urged the local authority to focus on getting the implementation of the changes right amid “appallingly low” recycling rates. The council agreed to a wave of proposed cuts earlier this year after facing Birmingham-specific issues, such as an equal pay fiasco and the disastrous implementation of a new IT and finance system, as well as other issues such as the rising demand for services and funding cuts.

Council leader John Cotton has highlighted “14 years of neglect from the previous Tory government" while Conservative politicians have pointed at the mistakes made by the council's Labour administration.

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